The western Algarve has a different climate from the south coast — cooler in summer and wetter in winter, tempered by the Atlantic. July and August are warm (25–28°C) and busy, but never as overrun as the resort coast. September and October are excellent: warm enough for swimming, the summer crowds gone, and the coastal light at its best.
Surfers come year-round. Winter swells from the North Atlantic are powerful and consistent, and the breaks at Arrifana work in almost any season. The Rota Vicentina is best walked in spring (March to May), when the wildflowers are out on the clifftops, or in October.
The annual Festa da Batata-Doce (sweet potato festival) takes place in November and is an unexpectedly good excuse to visit — the Aljezur area has been growing sweet potatoes for centuries and the festival celebrates them with unusual seriousness.